Grateful
by adagio11
Summary: It was only because of pure luck, that he still had her by his side. [Tate][Fluff]


**Grateful **

**Summary: **It was only because of pure luck that he still had her by his side

**Pairing: **Kate and Tony

**Disclaimer: **Not mine

**A/N: **Just another fluffy Tate story. Edited 2007-01-05

* * *

Tony DiNozzo shiften under his covers, before opening his eyes. It was still in the middle of the night. He was just about to sit up when he felt a small arm snake around his waist. He turned his head to the right and immediately smiled. To the small brunette, sleeping soundly next to him. Kate. _My Katie. _He thought and smiled wider. Carefully he reached out and caressed her cheek. As many times before, Tony thanked his lucky stars for having her next to him. When he thought of it, it was only because of pure luck. 

Tony remembered when he found out Ari had decided to visit them and use Kate as company. Or when Ari came back again and this time he brought Kate to that farm. Since then, Tony had felt he should protect her, even if she didn't need it, he had this urge to do it anyway. Of course he never told her that. She would only laugh at him and he had to agree that it wasn't his style. It didn't fit the playboy-DiNozzo style.

But then he fell sick with the plague. When he found out that she hadn't been infected but still stayed, he knew. He knew why he'd felt that protectiveness for her. When he laid there, in isolation he figured it out. He had fallen in love with her. Tony DiNozzo, the big playboy, had fallen in love with someone. For real.

Then it happened again. When fate once again tried to split them up. First the bomb under the car, and then when Ari came back for the third time. This time, he had aimed for Kate's head with a rifle. The mere thought almost brought tears to his eyes. It was only pure luck that she, in the last moment, had moved and Ari had hit her shoulder instead of her head, that he was aiming for. Tony remembered the feeling when he watched her fall to the ground for the second time within two minutes. But this time she didn't open her eyes. This time the vest didn't take the bullet. Her shoulder was bleeding violently. Tony barely remembered how she got to the hospital, or how he got there himself. But he remembered one thing, that night he told her.

_**Flashback **_

_Tony silently took seat in the chair next to her bed. She was asleep. He gently grabbed her hand and laced their fingers. The others had gone home but Tony had no plan on leaving. Tony didn't know how long he sat there, just holding her hand. But suddenly she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She didn't seem surprised to see Tony there. He smiled down at her._

"_Hey, how are you?" he spoke softly. Not the tone he usually used. She now seemed to notice that he held her hand and she gave it a light squeeze before answering. _

"_Okay, I guess" she murmured and smiled back weakly at him. "How long have you been here?" Tony glanced at the clock on the wall. _

"_Not sure, maybe four or five hours" He said. It was now dark outside so he must've been there at least three hours. _

"_You should go home and get some sleep"  
"No way. You stayed with me when I had the plague, remember?" he said and ran his thumb across her hand._

_Kate just smiled. It was no idea to argue with him about this. And she had to admit, it felt good to have him there. She'd always enjoyed his company, even if he sometimes could act like he was still in high school. After a few minutes of silence Tony thought he should say something._

"_You scared us out there, Katie" he said. She let out a small laugh. "Yeah...Like you did when you opened that envelope with plague..." After a while their laughter faded. Tony studied her for a while. Suddenly Kate turned down her gaze._

"_It was Ari, wasn't it?"_

"_Yeah. Gibbs is at FBI, yelling at Fornell" Kate smiled at his comment. Suddenly tears formed in her eyes. Tony's grip immediately increased._

"_Hey, what's wrong?" He hated when she cried, although it almost never happened. He sat down on the edge of her bed. _

"_Oh, sorry. It's just that...I don't know" Feeling a little bit silly, Kate wiped her tears but more fell. "I feel a little bit stupid. Yesterday, McGee and I...were talking about you, almost dying of the plague" She paused, still looking down. "And I...wouldn't admit that I might have been...you know...a little bit afraid. So I said that either one of us can day every time we walk through the door"_

_Tony immediately understood what this was all about. _

"_And then it almost happened, and I...well.." she trailed off and finally looked up. Gently, Tony wiped away her tears. _

"_Hey, it's okay. I understand. But right now, we're all fine okay? Everybody is okay. Come here" Gently he moved closer and drew her to his arms, careful to not hurt her shoulder. After a moment of hesitating, Kate leaned into him and buried her face in his chest. After a while she seemed to be out of tears. _

"_Thanks Tony" she said, looking up. "You should really go home and get some sleep. Remember, you're still recovering from the plague" _

_Tony chuckled but didn't attempt to move. "I think I'll be okay" he said still looking her in the eye. He then leaned closer and she closed her eyes letting him place a light kiss onto her lips. When they parted he smiled down at her. _

_"You should get some sleep" Tony mumbled._

_Kate nodded and let Tony kiss her softly on the lips again before he reluctanly took seat on the small couch by the wall. _

"_See you tomorrow" Tony said and made himself comfortable. Kate just shook her head at his stubborness before closing her eyes._

_**End of flashback**_

Three days later Kate had been released and of some reason, she agreed to stay at Tony's place for a few days. But four months later she still lived there and then decided to sell her own apartment. Strangely, neither of them felt that they took it to fast. It just...happened. Tony once again turned his head to watch her sleeping form. He loved her, so much.

As if on cue, Kate opened her eyes.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Tony asked. She just shook her head. Tony smiled at his girlfriend for a moment, then he leaned down and kissed her.

"It's in the middle of the night, why are you awake?" she asked when they parted.

"Just thinking. How lucky I am..."

Kate playfully hit him. "Sometimes you can be so mushy" Tony just grinned.

"You know what, Kate?"

"No"

"I'm glad...al-Qaida tried to kill the president on AFO. And I'm glad you dated that major so you resigned"

Kate chuckled and snuggled closer to him. "Yeah...I guess you have a point. You should sleep, Tony"

"I so owe Gibbs" Tony continued, ignoring her comment. Kate laughed and looked up at him. "What does he have to do with everything all of a sudden?"

"You know...for hiring you"

Kate just replied by kissing him. But he was right. She was grateful too, for taking this job even if she knew how wicked Gibbs and his team seemed to be.


End file.
